Our Day In Summer
by do-the-unthinkable
Summary: Shion is stuck in a monotonous job as a simple company employee, and has no real aims in life. One day, he meets Nezumi, a street musician and aspiring artist, and things in his life begin to change. AU. NezuShi. Yaoi. More inside. Review! Final chapter Up!
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Our Day in Summer  
**

**Author's Note**: My obsession with No. 6 has been relentlessly aching for release these last few days and, I couldn't help but give in and start anew. Welcome one and all to the mind of DTU. Have a seat, grab some popcorn, and please, enjoy the ride. Anyway, if you're not interested in slow development and detail, turn back now. More from me later.

⇒_**Please make sure you heed the bolded font. Especially the are there for a reason.**_

**Pairing**: Nezumi/Shion , One-sided Yoming/Shion

**Rating**: T/PG-13

**Warnings**: AU, OoC, Yaoi(hints)

**Summary**: Shion is stuck in a monotonous job as a company employee, and has no real aims in life. One day, he meets Nezumi, a street musician and aspiring artist, and things in his life begin to change.

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

No. 6 does not belong to me. All rights belong to Atsuko Asano-san. These boys, how I wish I could own them but, they will never be mine.

* * *

It hadn't been this way forever, but it was sure starting to feel like it.

Shion's life for the last couple of years had been like slow, monotonous television reruns, each day so indistinguishable from the next that they'd long since begun to blend together in his head. He'd started working for this company not long before his 22nd birthday, and now, a month before his 24th, he was still working in the same office, at the same desk, doing the same thing he'd been doing since his first day on the job two years ago.

University had been different. In university, he'd been known on campus as "Shion - you know, that guy with _the scars_"; that guy with weird snake that seemed to coil around his skin and weird humour; that guy who was always smiling like he didn't have a care in the world. Shion thought he probably smiled a lot less these days.

Even after all this time, he couldn't get used to the dreariness of the office. He liked colour, liked _vibrancy_, in everything around him, but the office had beige carpet and cream walls and grey desks. The office was filled with stale AC air, felt stuffy even when the temperature was just right, was filled with even stuffier people, all in the traditional black and white suits that everyone, including Shion, was required to wear.

Individuality was something he desperately prized above all else, but at work there was so little room for it; even the photos and colourful bits and bobs he kept on his desk could only add so much to the personality of his little square metre of space. There wasn't even any room for originality in his work; he wrote and proofread reports, was occasionally asked to edit things, but that was really the extent of his job. Everything about it was grey, but it paid well, and that was what put food on the table at the end of the day.

Today was just like any other day; he finished his jobs just before sunset, shut down his computer and packed up his briefcase. His team worked in a tiny office – him and three other people – which made him feel claustrophobic sometimes, but also meant he wasn't pressured to stay behind until everyone else was ready to go home to avoid affecting team spirit.

He bid his team leader, Yoming-san, good bye as he headed for the door, briefcase in hand,

feeling his heart lighten with every step. Going home was his favourite part of the day, and always made him feel like a great weight was being lifted from his shoulders; it was like getting out of prison.

"If you can stay an hour longer, we can all go for a drink together afterwards," Yoming offered casually, and Shion missed the faint glimmer of hope that flickered in his eyes.

Instead he smiled, replying as he always did, kindly and politely, "Thank you Yoming-san, but I should really be going now."

It was a phrase he'd perfected over the years, something no one could argue with or try to talk him out of. In reality, he had no pressing matters, nowhere he needed to be, but inside, he was alive and buzzing, desperate to escape down and out of the steel clutch of the elevator, walk through the automatic doors and burst out into the rich, dazzling world.

As usual, Shion didn't notice the barely hidden disappointment in Yoming's tone as he bid him farewell with an 'okay' and a nod, and then he was finally free; he'd survived another day.

He checked his watch as he hurried down the sunset drenched street. He was out a little earlier today, which meant if he hurried, then...  
A smile turned up the corner of Shion's lips as he arrived by the river, stopping halfway across the bridge and looking down onto the concrete walkway below.  
There he was, standing by the water with his guitar, strumming at the strings and singing in a voice that echoed in the tunnel of the bridge and carried out across the river.

Shion felt the residue of the bleak, grey office wash away with each note the man's lips formed. It was a song he knew well by now, one he suspected the man had composed himself, because he never had been able to find the lyrics on the internet when he'd tried looking. He had each word, each chord, perfectly memorised, the same way he'd come to memorise the flat slope of the young man's nose, his delicate cheekbones and jaw, his wide eyes with a carefree shine that Shion both admired and envied.

This was what Shion worked through the day for; these moments here on the bridge, when he would stop and watch and listen to the man with his guitar, singing in the orange glow of the setting sun. It didn't matter if it was for five minutes or an hour, if the songs he sung were uplifting melodies or slow ballads about heartbreak; this man was the colour in Shion's day.

It had been like this for months now. He didn't know the exact date, but one day he'd switched gyms and had taken a new route from work. The first time he'd come this way, he hadn't even made it to the gym. He'd caught the sound of a tune from down below as he crossed the bridge, seen the head of beautiful, dark hair, the nimble hands on the old, wooden guitar, and those eyes that reminded Shion of freedom. Suddenly, he'd been coming this way every day.

That first day, he'd stayed long after the man had left – watching the reflection of the sun disappear from the water as it sunk into the ocean of buildings, thinking that something very momentous had just happened. He wasn't sure what, but he could feel it; could remember the way the man tipped his head back as he belted out the high notes, the way his body swayed to his own music, how he'd felt, could still feel, a flutter in his chest.

Yes, something amazing had certainly taken place, he'd told himself, even if he didn't quite understand what.  
What he did know was that now there was something other than a pay check waiting for him beyond the never ending flow of reports that needed to be written and corrected, something more meaningful, more valuable.

* * *

For the first couple of months, Shion stood up above on the bridge, leaning on the railing and watching the man below as people walked past him on the street. The days he wasn't there, he'd channel his frustration into hours at the gym, pushing himself harder than usual before going home to his empty house and doing extra paperwork over dinner.

And then one day, a few days before his birthday, Shion was standing on the bridge as usual, watching the man sing as the sun began to dip below the horizon. The man craned his head back, finishing on a high note with his eyes squeezed shut, strummed the last few chords on his guitar and then, without straightening his neck back up, he'd opened his eyes, locking gazes with Shion.

Shion felt like his heart had just dropped into his stomach, and his skin began to prickle. The man looked up at him curiously and Shion did the first thing he could think of; stood straight and pulled away from the bridge so he was completely out of sight.

After standing there for a few seconds, trying in vain to calm his wildly thumping heart, Shion began to feel stupid. Why had he almost run away? He was hardly the only person who watched this guy sing every evening; far from it. There were girls – there were _plenty_ of girls – who regularly watched him, probably more regularly than Shion, since he sometimes got stuck at the company doing overtime until well past dark. He shouldn't be embarrassed about getting caught watching. It was normal.

He slowly leant back over the railing to find the man still staring up at him, face scrunched by a broad smirk, and Shion realised with a start that he was laughing at him. He felt his complexion colour, but the man just winked at him, waved with his fingers and launched into his next song.

Shion watched until the end, and then when the man began to pack up, he was out of there as fast as he could move without actually running. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to get away, why he wanted to escape before the man had a chance to climb the steps up to the bridge and walk past him, but he did. He did laps at the pool that evening, changing the chaos in his mind into energy and swimming until he was too exhausted to push himself another inch.  
That night, he dreamed of the man's smile and a fleeting melody, dreams that grew hazy the moment he opened his eyes the next morning.

* * *

It wasn't the last time their gazes met – far from it. Whenever Shion watched him now, the man would look up at the bridge between songs to check if he was there, beaming in satisfaction when he saw he was. Each time they made eye contact, Shion felt a shiver shoot down his spine like a bolt of lightning, leaving his skin tingling and his face hot. Each time, he left the moment the man went to put his guitar back in his case, speed walking the short distance to the gym with his nerves and heart a flutter.

It couldn't have been much more than a week later that the evening came when the man looked up at him, his usual little smile missing, replaced by a contemplative expression. Then he waved at him, not a wave hello, but a wave saying 'come down'.  
Shion felt a lump forming in his throat. His first instinct was to run away, but with the man's eyes – those eyes that meant just as much to Shion as the music he played – locked firmly with his, he found it was impossible.

He felt numb as he descended the stairs, one foot in front of the other, and came to stand in front of this person who had become such a big part of his life, yet neither of them had any idea of who the other was.

Unlike what Shion had expected, they didn't exchange greetings; they didn't even exchange a single word before the man began to pluck at the strings again and launched into another song.  
He was even more breathtaking up close than he was from afar, lips perfect-pink and glossy as they shaped to form notes, and eyes framed by long, dark lashes that caressed the curves of his high cheek bones when they slipped shut.

Today when the man went to put his guitar away and the small crowd of spectators dispersed, Shion found he couldn't run. He stood there feeling awkward, watching him pick up his case and swing the strap over his shoulder. Then he was in front of Shion, up closer than he ever thought he'd really see him, and he couldn't seem to take his eyes off the moisture that glistened in a line above his lip.

And then he spoke, and it was smooth and deep, rich and sultry, all at once.

"You have a nice voice."

Shion stared at him, puzzled. "I have… what?"

The man chuckled, adjusting the strap of his case until it hung off him more comfortably.

"You were singing along with me. You have a nice voice. Maybe we should sing together some time."

Shion felt his face burning, and even though he struggled to find something to reply with, all he could do was stutter until the man took pity on him.

"What's your name?" He asked.

Shion didn't know how to respond, feeling his flush grow hotter under all the attention.

"I… why do you want to know?"

One side of the man's mouth quirked up in an amused smirk.

"Because I've nicknamed you Juliet since you're always up above me on that bridge, and if I don't know your real name, that's what I'm going to have to keep calling you."

He wasn't sure what kind of personality he'd thought the man would have – maybe he hadn't really made any proper assumptions yet – but this wasn't quite what he would have expected.

"Ah. I'm Shi… Shion…" He mentally kicked himself for his stupid nervous stutter and stopped for a moment, trying to relax himself.

"Shion?" The man repeated, and Shion flushed harder, shook his head.

"Yes. Yes, it's Shion."

"So, Shion then. I'm Nezumi."

Nezumi. Finally, Shion had a name to put to the face, to the voice, and he committed it to memory, imagined how it would feel on his tongue. It was a strange name but, all in all it seemed to suit the man and Shion had no further questions.

It should have been awkward after that, but Nezumi seemed oblivious to this and asked him all sorts of embarrassing questions about why Shion watched him, if he liked his music, how long he'd been watching him for. Shion fumbled his answers more often than not, and eventually Nezumi just laughed and asked him if he wanted to go for a drink.

"It's late," Shion said sensibly, but Nezumi shrugged.

"So? You don't have anywhere else you need to be, right?"

It sounded more like Nezumi was deciding the answer for him rather than asking, and Shion wasn't sure how to answer. He had paperwork he should probably have been doing right now, but Nezumi's eyes held a faint hope there, so eager, that he found himself nodding.

"Nowhere really," he replied, and couldn't bring himself to regret his answer when those beautiful, grey eyes lit up, and that small smile threatening to spread wide and overtake his whole face.

"I know a really good place a couple of blocks from here. You'll like it."

Shion followed him up the stairs, clutching his briefcase and watching Nezumi's hips sway as he walked ahead of him, guitar case bumping against his back. A nagging voice in the back of his head told him that if he wanted his weekend free, he should go home and go about his usual routine, make dinner and work on reports, but he pushed it away. It didn't seem right to be thinking about rules or regimen or paperwork with Nezumi's whistle in his ear, a light and carefree tone, and so Shion forced himself not to.

They ended up having dinner together as well, Shion wondering the whole time why Nezumi had invited him out all of a sudden.

"I like your face. You have a nice smile," Nezumi said when Shion got up the courage to ask. "What about you? You didn't tell me why you come to watch me every day. You're an office worker, right? It seems a bit strange."

Shion looked away, stuffing a piece of yakitori into his mouth to try and avoid answering the question, shrugging noncommittally.

Nezumi kept talking. "Lots of people stop and listen, but the only ones who come to watch me regularly are school girls. Probably because they like _my_ face."

Shion didn't tell him that he liked his face as well, just for entirely different reasons.

"I like your music," he explained, because it wasn't really a lie. "It relaxes me after work."

Nezumi smirked, as though Shion had just told him he'd gone platinum on his first CD.

"I'll write you a song," he promised, and Shion felt a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach, not unlike the one he'd experienced on his first date.

"You don't have to," he assured him, but Nezumi was already asking him rhetorical questions about themes and lyrics, and Shion found that he wanted him to anyway.

When they finally said goodbye – Shion paid for their meal, though he wasn't sure if he remembered offering to do so or not – it was almost midnight, and Shion was practically asleep on his feet. Nezumi didn't seem worn-out at all, the way he walked almost like he was floating, next to Shion's tired, dragging feet.

"You'll come by tomorrow too, right?" Nezumi asked when they said goodbye at the crossing.

"I always do." He felt a little silly after the words came out of his mouth, but Nezumi looked so pleased that he wouldn't have taken them back even if he could've.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, First chapter complete. My apologize for grammar issues. But other than the grammar issues, how's that for a start? This story is going to be really fun to write and, now that I have three going on at once ( Well, with one of my stories on hiatus at the moment), I've got to keep on top of my updates! Please send me a lovely review! It motivates me in every sense of the word. AND, It _also_ gives me confidence in my story. Favorites and Alerts are nice and all but I want to know what you think. No flames, please. I'm prone to attacking people who flame me quite violently… ahah. Anyway, Thanks for reading! Please look out for the next update!

**Read, Review and Move On!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Our Day in Summer  
**

**Author's Note**: Wow, I've actually gotten quiet a few reviews for this story! I'm so glad. I was almost a little worried no one would read it, haha. Well, Please enjoy the next segment, my lovelies. Again, if you're not interested in slow development and detail, turn back now. More from me later.

⇒_**Please make sure you heed the bolded font. Especially the are there for a reason.**_

**Pairing**: Nezumi/Shion , One-sided Yoming/Shion

**Rating**: T/PG-13

**Warnings**: AU, OoC, Yaoi(hints)

**Summary**: Shion is stuck in a monotonous job as a company employee, and has no real aims in life. One day, he meets Nezumi, a street musician and aspiring artist, and things in his life begin to change.

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

No. 6 does not belong to me. All rights belong to Atsuko Asano-san. These boys, how I wish I could own them but, they will never be mine.

* * *

They chatted again the next day, and then next Monday Nezumi asked for his number, giving his own in exchange.

"I want to see you during the weekend," he explained, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "I want to know how Shion looks during his private time."

Shion spent the whole week after that worrying. He wasn't ashamed of his unique sense of style, not even the one time his last girlfriend had told him that he looked like he got dressed in the dark, and so it made no sense for him to worry about what Nezumi would think. He still did, though, up until the moment they met up, as Nezumi had suggested, late on a Sunday afternoon.

Shion almost didn't recognise him when he turned up. He was dressed in a convenience store uniform instead of his usual bleached jeans and dress shirt, and looked smaller, somehow, without his guitar case strapped to his back.

"Hey," he greeted Shion, eyes sweeping down his body, over his chequered shirt, tartan shorts and leggings, then back up to his eyes. "Do you mind if we stop by my apartment first? I've got to get changed."

Shion nodded his assent and fell into step next to Nezumi.

"Do you work at Lawson?"

Nezumi laughed, gestured to his uniform.

"What do you think?" He raised an eyebrow and shot Shion a cheeky grin.

"Well, you could have stolen that," Shion replied, sounding serious, and Nezumi looked surprised for a second before he started to chuckle.

"There's more to you than meets the eye," he said, nudging Shion with his elbow, and then tugging at his clothes. "Shion is quite a free spirit."

He looked away to hide his embarrassment and shrugged. Nezumi wouldn't understand the irony of his comment, and so there was no point in explaining it to him.

As it turned out, Nezumi lived on the eighth floor of an apartment complex, and so he brought Shion up in the elevator with him, sitting him down on his couch to wait while he went to his room to get changed.

It was tiny; lounge, dining room and kitchen all squished in together, with only a bedroom and bathroom separated off from the main living area by a door. He spied a bookcase full of text, along with Nezumi's guitar in its case propped up in the corner of the room, and sheets of music scattered over the table. Save for that, it was a little tidier than Shion had imagined it would be; not as tidy as he liked his home to be, but not a complete mess either.

"Sorry." He jolted when he heard Nezumi's voice come from right behind him, hadn't heard him approach, and flushed when he laughed. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm ready to go now."

Shion shook his head and scrambled to his feet, wishing he'd stop being so clumsy and awkward in front of this man who, in a way, he had idolised for so many months. Nezumi seemed to find it endearing for some reason, but that didn't make him feel any less silly, particularly next to someone who didn't seem to get flustered or uncomfortable.

"Where do you want to go?" Nezumi asked him on the way back down in the elevator, and Shion's eyebrows rose.

"Didn't you have any plans in mind when you asked me to come?"

"Not really, I just asked you. Are you hungry? If you are, we can go eat something."

"Yeah, a bit, I guess."

Shion had never mastered the art of leaving the house without plans, but if he thought about it, that was the reason he'd been drawn to Nezumi in the first place; he'd seemed like someone who wasn't weighed down by the norms of society, someone who wasn't stuck inside the box – someone living a life totally different from Shion's. Nezumi's spontaneity was just another sign of his freedom.

Nezumi took him to a café for a late lunch and ordered him a panini before he even had a chance to look through the menu, claiming that they were really good here.

"How old are you, Shion?" He asked him as he sipped at his coffee, waiting for their food to arrive. Not for the first time, Shion thought that Nezumi didn't have the best grasp of personal boundaries, but that didn't stop him from answering.

"I turned 24 a couple of weeks ago," he answered, and Nezumi looked a little disappointed.

"So I just missed your birthday." There was no pout on his lips, but his voice had the quality of one. "What a shame. I wish I could've given you your song as a present."

"You seriously are writing me a song?" Shion felt a strange mixed of pleasure and embarrassment. "I thought you were joking."

Nezumi gave him a strange look. "Why would I joke about that?"

Their food arrived shortly after, and Nezumi kept talking to him around bites of what actually did turn out to be a very nice panini.

"We're not actually that far apart in age. I'm going to be 25 in November," he told him, and Shion fumbled and dropped his food back onto his plate.

"Really?" He asked, genuinely surprised. "You seem so much younger."

It was true; almost-25-year-olds didn't work at Lawson and play guitar on the street in their spare time – they worked at companies or factories or _some_ kind of full time job. He'd thought that Nezumi would be 19, 20, maybe 22 at the most. Instead, he was almost a full three years older than that. His shock must have been clear on his face, because Nezumi started laughing – gently, not unkindly, and picked daintily at the edges of his meal.

"I have a young face, right?" He smiled and cocked his head, looking admittedly boyish, even though that wasn't the reason Shion had made his assumption.

"You… what about starting a career? Did you go to university?" Shion asked.

He didn't mean to sound rude, because he knew there were people out there who did neither of those things. It was just that he'd never met one before.

Nezumi, however, didn't seem offended.

"I did. My parents expected me to go, so I went. I took psych, but I never actually planned to do anything with it."

"Then why… what exactly _are_ you planning to do?"

He had to have some kind of plan, Shion reasoned. Someone like Nezumi didn't just plan to spend the rest of their lives working in a convenience store. He'd known him personally for less than a week, and already he was convinced that Nezumi was made for bigger, better things than Shion had ever even dreamed of for himself. Nezumi seemed like the kind of person who could snap his and have the world fall at his feet.

"I'm going to be a singer," he said, all smiles and confidence. There wasn't a hint of a doubt in his voice, not even a speck of worry that maybe he wouldn't be able to achieve his dream. "I'm good, right?"

Shion couldn't deny that.

"How… how does someone become a singer, though?" He asked, and suddenly Nezumi was animated with enthusiasm, hands moving in swift motions as he spoke.

He'd applied to several companies earlier this year, he said, and was expecting responses soon enough. After that he'd be famous, and of course he'd give Shion copies of his CDs for free, and Shion would promise to be his biggest fan, wouldn't he?  
He said it all with the wide-eyed seriousness of someone who'd never truly been hurt or embittered yet by the world, and Shion discovered that he hoped with all his heart that Nezumi would achieve everything he set out to do, just so he wouldn't ever change.

He found himself paying for the both of them again when they finished, and Nezumi thanked him as they exited the café, walking down the street.

"My last boyfriend would never pay for anything. He insisted we go dutch every time, even this one time on my birthday. That's stingy, right?" Nezumi said, and Shion stared at him in wide-eyed shock.

"Your last boyfriend?" He repeated, and Nezumi stared at him blankly before starting to laugh.

"Heh. I meant my ex-boyfriend. Don't worry, your majesty; I wasn't implying that you and I were… you know," he assured him, unaware that that wasn't what Shion had been asking about.

It didn't feel right to probe deeper than that into such a topic, and so he left it there despite being filled with burning questions. He'd never met anyone who could so freely and easily proclaim that they liked other boys before, and he found that he wanted to know more, but he couldn't ask.

They went window shopping after that, then into a jewellery shop where Nezumi bought himself a skull ring – the first time Shion had actually seen him pull out his wallet – and they finally split up around sunset.

"I'll see you after work tomorrow, right?" Nezumi asked, and Shion assured him again that he'd be there, just like he always was.

He went to the gym once they'd gone their separate ways, but even though his body was tired when he went to bed that night, his mind was full to bursting, thinking about Nezumi and having boyfriends and wondering what this strange nervous-excited feeling in his stomach was all about.  
He clutched his pillow to his chest, hugging it tight and trying to pretend that he wasn't anxious for tomorrow to come already. When he buried his face in it, thinking idly about how soft Nezumi would feel in his arms, what it would be like to hold him, what his hair smelt like, he was already half asleep and by the time the sun rose the next day, all those thoughts had been forgotten.

* * *

Shion spent the following months expecting Nezumi to grow tired of him; to decide that he was boring, just another faceless, run-of-the-mill office worker, that he'd eventually forget him, but that time never came.

The last month of summer began and the telltale signs of autumn approaching soon appeared along with it. The days began to grow shorter, and Shion was glad, despite still not knowing why, that Nezumi had taken such a shine to him, because even once it became too dark and cold for Nezumi to play on the streets in the evenings, he'd still be able to see him.

He hadn't realised anything had visibly changed about him, but something must have, because one day as he was leaving the office to have his lunch, he'd bumped into Yoming in the break room, and in the middle of their small talk, he suddenly said, "You seem happy recently, Shion-kun. Girlfriend, maybe?"

Shion was a little disturbed to find himself thinking of the curves of Nezumi's legs, his lustrous grey eyes that often held a mischevous glow, his delicate features with their subtle mix of femininity and masculinity, and his face was immediately aflame.

"No, there's no girlfriend," he said, and Yoming looked at him shrewdly.

"Then some other kind of friend, perhaps?"

Shion stared, then blinked, feeling like there was some deeper meaning to that question and wondering what Yoming was trying to imply.

"There's no one at the moment," he finally said, and Yoming looked oddly relieved.

"You should come out with us tonight. You haven't for months now."

The change in topic was abrupt, and caught Shion off guard.

"I'm... to be honest, I'm not really one for crowds or noisy bars. And I should probably go home and finish some work."

It was different from his usual excuse, and so maybe that was why Yoming's reply was different from usual.

"You and I could go out some time then. To a smaller place," he offered, and Shion didn't really know what to say to that.

It was strange, he thought, as he ate his lunch alone. He'd been frightened of Yoming when he'd first started this job, of his harsh words and piercing eyes, but once he warmed to you, he was a much gentler person. Shion suddenly felt bad; Yoming was probably doing his best to try and build team spirit, to get along with all of his subordinates, and Shion never bothered to engage with him. If he was Nezumi, he'd definitely have agreed to go along with Yoming, to get to know him better, and at least to try to enjoy himself.

In the time Shion had known him, Nezumi had only ever been in positive concern about other people; he seemed to always be curious of them, to see their worth, and never truly held grudges. He was mysteriously positive yet wary, and he definitely wouldn't have kept blowing Yoming off. It wasn't Yoming's fault that Shion didn't enjoy the company lifestyle, and maybe, if he went and tried to get to know him, to get to know his other co-workers better, he'd even learn to enjoy his job a little more. And so it was with those thoughts in mind that he resolved to stop by Yoming's desk at the end of the day and agree to have a go at hanging out with him.

He stayed true to his plan, and once he'd packed his briefcase and was ready to head home, he stopped at his desk on the way out. "If I finish my report tonight, I think I'd have free time tomorrow."

Shion was pretty sure he'd never seen a smile on Yoming's face that was as genuinely happy as the one that spread across it then.

"Okay," Yoming agreed, "Then tomorrow night, I'm all yours."

* * *

It turned out that Yoming, though he still had a bit of a sharp tongue, was quite sweet and even a little shy once you got him away from work.  
He took Shion to a small family-owned shop where, Shion was delighted to discover, they had really good gyoza. Yoming ordered ginger pork and a small bottle of rice wine for the two of them to share, and conversation flowed more naturally between them than Shion had anticipated it would.

Yoming grew bolder as he grew tipsy, personal space boundaries quickly falling away as the night wore on, and when the time came for the shop to close, he'd even rested his head on Shion's shoulder and his hand on his knee a few times. Usually it'd bother him, but Shion was also feeling pleasantly buzzed, and on top of that, he was enjoying the companionship.

"I'd better go and catch my train," Yoming told him as it got later, sounding a little regretful to be leaving so soon, but Shion smiled and waved it off.

"That's fine," he assured him. "Thank you for dinner."

They split up at the station, and Yoming made him promise they'd do it again. His hand lingered on Shion's shoulder a little longer than necessary, and a strange expression came over his face just as his train pulled into the platform.

"I'll see you at work," he said, before running to catch it, and Shion watched him go, again feeling as if there was something happening that he wasn't quite able to put his finger on.

He forgot all about it when he pulled his phone out of his bag as he turned to leave, finding about 10 messages and three missed calls waiting for him, all from Nezumi.  
The messages were all variants of "Where are you?" and "I have to talk to you", and panic welled up in Shion's chest.

He dialled Nezumi's number without stopping to think about what time it was, holding the phone to his ear with shaky fingers and hoping with all his might that everything was okay.

"Hello? Shion?"

Relief swept over him, leaving him weak and dizzy. Nezumi didn't sound frightened or angry or like he was in danger, and Shion felt strangely like crying. He didn't though, not in public.

"Nezumi? You rang me before."

"Yeah. Where are you?"

"At the train station," Shion replied. Now that he knew Nezumi was alright, he was curious to know what it could be that had required so many calls and messages. "What's going on?"

Nezumi chuckled quietly, which would have been worrying at any other time, but only served to wash away any remaining fears that Shion may have had.

"I got a letter in the mail today," he said, and his voice sounded forcedly casual, like there was something repressed beneath, waiting to bubble up and burst through the surface.

"A letter?" Shion asked when he wasn't offered any further elaboration. "From who?"

"Well." Nezumi's voice changed to an exceptionally smug tone. "You know those agencies I applied to? I got a reply from one."

Shion's heart leapt into his throat, and a rush of energy spiralled through him.

"You were accepted?" He asked, trying to keep his voice calm until Nezumi confirmed that it was true.

It was like an explosion from the other end of the phone, as though Nezumi couldn't hold down his excitement any longer, and it all came out in a rush of words.

"Yes! I wanted you to be the first person I told, Shion, but you didn't answer your phone and so I may have rung up my parents and told them before you, but other than that no one else knows yet, just you and mom and dad."

A grin split Shion's face and he fought to keep himself from doing a weird little hop-skip in celebration in the middle of a public place.

"Oh my god, Nezumi, that's…"

"It's amazing, right? And it's not just a 'come in for an interview and we'll see if you're good enough'. They want to talk to me, but they said they loved my demo tape and that I look like the kind of person they want… This could be it, Shion, my big chance. You have to take me out for dinner to celebrate, okay?"

"Of course I will," he didn't even think twice about agreeing, was too excited for Nezumi to even consider scolding him – not that he would have anyway – for being pushy.

"I brought my letter with me today so I could show you, but you weren't there. So I'll show you tomorrow, alright? I wanted to tell you in person, but you know. I couldn't wait that long."

"I'll come," Shion promised over the top of more excited chatter from Nezumi. "I'll be there."

They talked a little longer after that before Shion realised that he really should be getting home and hung up, promising again that he'd see him after work tomorrow. He walked back to his apartment with a spring in his step, the entire evening with Yoming pushed to the back of his mind.

* * *

**A/N:** Chapter two complete. My apologize for grammar issues. I'm having a lot of fun with this story as you can tell. I'm hoping you all are enjoying it as well! Oh, also, the next updates will be posted on my profile so if you ever get curious to when the next update will occur—feel free to check there! Please, keep sending me those lovely reviews. When I get them, I feel like I know there are people actually reading my story; and if I don't get a review, it feels like no one likes it but me. I'd love to know what you think of it. No flames, though. I'll chew on your cheeks. Thanks for reading! Please keep an eye out for the next update!

**Read, Review and Move On!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: Our Day in Summer  
**

**Author's Note**: You guys, your reviews are really keeping me motivated! Thank you so much! Now, please enjoy the next installment. And if you're not interested in slow development and detail, turn back now. More from me later!

⇒_**Please make sure you heed the bolded font. Especially the are there for a reason.**_

**Pairing**: Nezumi/Shion , One-sided Yoming/Shion

**Rating**: T/PG-13

**Warnings**: AU, OoC, Yaoi(hints)

**Summary**: Shion is stuck in a monotonous job as a company employee, and has no real aims in life. One day, he meets Nezumi, a street musician and aspiring artist, and things in his life begin to change.

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

No. 6 does not belong to me. All rights belong to Atsuko Asano-san. These boys, how I wish I could own them but, they will never be mine.

* * *

As it turned out, Nezumi really was what the agency were looking for. He was a shoo-in, with his pretty face and his talent and his beautiful voice. Shion hadn't been there, but he imagined he'd probably charmed the pants off his interviewers when he went into the agency as well. He was made to be famous, and it shone out of him like a beacon, impossible to miss, impossible to ignore.

He made Shion take him out for dinner again after he was signed up, and Shion didn't mind one bit, swept along by his tide of enthusiasm.

"You'll probably forget about me once you're famous," Shion teased him over their steaming bowls of ramen, and Nezumi shook his head vigorously.

"Never." He beamed, slurping his noodles up with an enthusiasm that had been present in all his actions for the past few weeks. "You're important to me."

He said it like it was no big thing, sliding easily onto the next topic of conversation and chatting away about that, but something about the sentence stuck with Shion for the rest of the evening, never quite leaving his mind. Even as he lay in bed that night, trying to drift off to sleep, it hovered on the edges of his consciousness, keeping him awake and leaving him feeling confused and conflicted and like the luckiest person in the world.

The days grew shorter and shorter as the year wore on. Nezumi began work at his agency and retired from playing his guitar under the bridge, but that was okay with Shion. Earlier sunsets meant that it was beginning to get dark at 5 o'clock, and he wouldn't have been able to get out in time to see him anyway.  
Nezumi had started to work later into the evenings as well, having photo shoots and working on his portfolio. It wasn't just him that things had changed with, though. Shion was going out with his colleagues more often, finding it a less onerous task than he'd originally imagined now that he was looking at it from a different perspective.

Work was still a hassle, but everyone seemed so much less like soulless drones and more like real people once he got to know them. Yoming in particular seemed to want to become friends, and Shion slowly grew to realise that even when he was being brusque, it was only to hide his shy nature; that when he commented on Shion's indecisive behaviour or the strange wasp bobble-head that sat on his work desk, it was mainly said in jest. His way of showing his love was prickly, and Shion grew to like him and his company, and, in the back of his head, he was pretty sure he had Nezumi to thank for it; Nezumi, who had brightened up his life both outside _and _inside the workplace.

They still saw each other regularly enough, of course – Nezumi made sure of that. He'd send Shion mails before the weekend saying that he was "booking" him, and he'd arrange to meet up for late dinners every once in a while when they finished work around the same time.

Tonight was one of those nights when the two of them, both looking a bit tired and haggard, would cram into a booth at a restaurant and share their events of the week gone by. Shion had come to love the way Nezumi's face would light up as they talked and ate, weary features shifting into a small smile as they unwound together.

It was funny; the first time Shion had seen him exhausted, he'd panicked inside. He wasn't sure what he'd do if Nezumi changed into someone disillusioned and beaten down by the entertainment world. If he became trapped, unhappy and cynical, he'd be someone completely different to the person Shion had been so intrigued by that first moment he'd laid eyes on him.  
Nezumi, however, had quickly quashed this worry.

"It's so much work," he'd told him, and though he'd had a smudge of shadow under his eyes, his smile still shone with the same enthusiasm as ever. "But it's great. They say they want to debut me, but I have to be promoted a bit first. I'm going to be in a snack food commercial and advertising campaign."

Tonight was no different. Nezumi was tired, probably to the point that he could feel it in his bones, but his voice still held a touch of warmth and wonder as he talked about what he'd been doing.

"I'm going to be in a drama," he told Shion with barely concealed awe. "It's just for one episode, so it's not a main part of anything. I'm playing someone's little brother, but it's an evening show, so it should be just enough exposure for me."

"Do you even know how to act? When do you get to do music?" Shion asked. He was excited for him – he'd get to be on television, after all, hopefully doing more than eating potato chips for 30 seconds this time – but also felt a little concerned; Nezumi hadn't had any plans to do commercials or dramas or photo shoots, though he'd probably understood that they came with the territory. What he really wanted to do was sing, but even after being in the agency for three months, it still seemed such a long way off.

Nezumi didn't seem worried though, just laughed his too-loud-for-public laugh and waved it off.

"I'm still writing songs in my own time, and doing this other stuff is okay too. I also happen to be a _great_ actor. Besides, It's still a sort of performance, even if it's not singing yet. And if people like what they see enough, that'll come soon too."

Personally, Shion thought that they should just cut to the chase and debut him, but he supposed he could see the risk of debuting someone who was virtually unknown. Even so, it bothered him, the idea of Nezumi standing silently in front of a camera having his photo taken, talent going to waste, and Nezumi could see it on his face.

"Stop pouting," he teased, leaning over and pushing Shion's lip back in, smirking playfully. "This is all part of the job, and it's kind of fun too. I'm lucky that there's talk of debuting me as an artiste this early on anyway. Some people have to wait years, you know?"

Shion nodded, and was then distracted by the arrival of their food. He even felt himself becoming more excited about Nezumi's drama – well, it wasn't really _his_ drama, but to Shion, it always would be – as Nezumi continue to talk about the opportunity and how exciting it was, his enthusiasm gradually catching on.

It was almost midnight by the time they left, but despite the late hour and their mutual fatigue, Nezumi wasn't ready to go home yet. He was running on adrenaline, on the rush brought on by his conversation with Shion, and Shion let himself be pulled along when Nezumi grabbed him by the sleeve and urged him in the opposite direction from home.

"Let's go for a walk," he suggested, and Shion didn't have much choice but to follow, comforting himself with the fact that tomorrow was Saturday and that he didn't have to get up early for work.

They walked a familiar path, soon finding themselves standing on the bridge by the river. Nezumi folded his arms across the railing and rested his chin on the curve of his wrist, looking out across the water. The lights from the city reflected off the midnight-black surface in shimmering white and orange blotches, and Shion felt an inexplicable tight, almost painful feeling in his chest.

"It feels like this is where it all started for me," he said, and Shion watched a barely visible smile unfold across his face. "Even though I played in lots of other places before I started coming here, I think this is the place I'll look back on and remember."

"Why here?" Shion asked, and Nezumi tilted his head to the side, looked up to meet his gaze.

"This is where I met you."

Shion didn't say anything, but he leant against the railing too, moving closer to Nezumi until he could feel the warmth from his body cutting through the cold November air.

* * *

Shion hadn't been following the drama, but he made sure he'd make it home by 8 o'clock on the night that Nezumi's episode aired. The two of them met up at the crossing after Shion got out of work and walked briskly back to his apartment, arriving just before the episode began.

"This is the first time I've been to your home," Nezumi commented, toeing off his shoes and leaving them in the entrance way. Shion took his own off and lined both pairs up neatly together, then went around switching on lights while Nezumi made himself comfortable in front of the television and grabbed the remote.

They began to watch once Shion settled down next to him, half-aware the entire time of the proximity of Nezumi's body to his own, and the way their knees and shoulders touched.

"I should show up about now," Nezumi told him, around fifteen minutes into the episode.

Up until that point, Shion had been watching Nezumi's face rather than the television, but once Nezumi appeared on the screen, he couldn't take his eyes off it.  
Nezumi looked good – really good. Maybe it was the hair or the clothes or the makeup, but he looked to Shion like the idols in the posters his friend Safu had had on her walls when they'd been growing up.

He much preferred the real Nezumi, with his too-loud laugh when he found something Shion had done amusing and his scrunched up eyes and messy ponytail, but he could certainly see the attraction of the Nezumi on screen. Up until now, when Shion had imagined Nezumi holding a live show, he'd imagined a dark concert hall, filled with people who watched in hushed awe as he sang along with his guitar. But looking at the Nezumi on the screen, he could almost conjure up the sounds of an arena, packed to the brim with tens of thousands of girls all screaming his name as he sung under the spotlights.

His role, though small, wasn't as small as Shion had imagined either; from what he could tell, he was actually playing the younger college-aged brother of the _main_ character, who had come to Tokyo with his parents to visit his sister for the episode. He had a name and proper lines and a decent amount of screen time, and from what Shion could tell, he really _wasn't_ a bad actor.  
When the episode drew to a close, he looked over at Nezumi and found him looking back, grinning so hard that it should have hurt.

"So. How was it?"

He was clearly fishing for compliments that Shion really wanted to give, but what came out instead was, "You looked so… different."

Nezumi laughed and shook his head, bringing a hand to his temple in false exasperation.

"Is that all you have to say? How was my acting, Shion? Do you think people will have noticed me?"

"You were good. You looked cool," he said, which seemed to satisfy Nezumi, because after that he launched into a mile-a-minute monologue about maybe doing more drama work in the future, and how much he'd enjoyed filming.

Shion made dinner for him that night, and Nezumi ate everything, praising his cooking the whole time and angling for seconds after he was done.

"I want to live with you. I can't cook at all," he'd said while they ate, and even though he was obviously joking, Shion still choked on his food.

Nezumi fell asleep on the couch later in the night, looking tiny and fragile and beautiful, with his hair swept across his forehead and a hand curled up near his chin. Shion almost wanted to cover him with a blanket and let him stay, but they both had work in the morning, and so he reluctantly shook him awake, feeling strangely soft inside when Nezumi blinked blearily and yawned as he opened his eyes.

"It's getting late," he told him, and Nezumi nodded, blinking a couple more times before he forced himself to sit up.

When he walked him to the door later, Shion couldn't figure out why he felt so disappointed.

* * *

When Shion checked his phone at lunch the next day, he was greeted by two long, messages from Nezumi telling him that he was an 'overnight phenomenon'. Shion assumed he was exaggerating, and he _was_ really, but not by nearly as much as he'd thought.  
He checked the message section of the official drama website and a few fan blogs, and it looked like 'Yumi's little brother' had been a big hit. 'So handsome!' Plenty of girls had proclaimed. 'So cute!'

'I'd never heard of 'Nezumi ' before, but now I want to know more about him!' One had written on her blog. 'I found his agency, but it seems he hasn't done much. I hope we see more of him in the future.'

Further searches revealed a couple of grainy pictures taken with cellphone cameras of Nezumi playing his guitar on the street on blogs belonging to girls who wanted to stake their claim over him now that he was 'famous', having "liked him first".

His heart soared when he found there was a video clip of Nezumi singing along with his guitar, also taken with a cellphone camera. If _that_ unadulterated evidence of Nezumi's talent, plain for everyone to see, wasn't good publicity, then Shion didn't know what was.

He was in an exceptionally good mood for the rest of the day, and went about his most boring tasks without complaint, even humming a bit as he did. He caught Yoming watching him with a puzzled, almost worried expression a couple of times, but he didn't make a move to say anything and Shion brushed it off. Right now, he was too preoccupied by the realisation that Nezumi's dream – and these days, it almost felt like _their_ dream, really – was finally coming true.

* * *

**A/N:** Chapter three done! My apologize for grammar issues. Thanks for reading, I hope to see you again! Leave me a nice little review here and I'll push out these chapters! No flames though. We're all friends here; lets not make enemies. Also, the next updates will be posted on my profile so if you ever get curious to when the next update will occur—feel free to check there!

**Read, Review and Move On!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: Our Day in Summer  
**

**Author's Note**: Happy late Valentine's Day! Yeah, yeah, I know it's sort of late but—I didn't have time to post it then so… appreciate! Thanks to everyone who gave me such great reviews! I really appreciate you all for motivating me to continue with this update! Well, get to reading guys~ More from me later!

⇒_**Please make sure you heed the bolded font. Especially the are there for a reason.**_

**Pairing**: Nezumi/Shion , One-sided Yoming/Shion

**Rating**: T/PG-13

**Warnings**: AU, OoC, Yaoi(hints)

**Summary**: Shion is stuck in a monotonous job as a company employee, and has no real aims in life. One day, he meets Nezumi, a street musician and aspiring artist, and things in his life begin to change.

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

No. 6 does not belong to me. All rights belong to Atsuko Asano-san. These boys, how I wish I could own them but, they will never be mine.

* * *

It was only another 7 months before Nezumi was given the word that he was going to debut. This time Shion _was_ the first person he told, in an excited tone, practically contagious over the cellphone. They met up on Shion's lunch break, and Shion surprised the both of them by grabbing Nezumi in a fierce hug, laughing as they clung to each other and may have even shed a few tears.

That was the last they saw of one another for the next two months. Nezumi was inundated with work after he was given the announcement, and suddenly if he wasn't filming for television appearances or commercials, doing recording or having his photo taken, he was using the opportunity to sleep. He still mailed Shion throughout the day, never complaining about being busy, but often expressing displeasure at not seeing each other. More than a few of the messages were variants on 'I miss you'.

Shion missed him as well, though he was too embarrassed to ever say it. He hadn't thought he'd feel lonely without him, because he was spending more time with his colleagues outside of work than he had a year earlier, but he did. It made no sense to him, but he supposed that Nezumi was special and left it at that.

During the second month, Nezumi didn't see Shion, but Shion saw Nezumi. Everywhere. He was all over television, in magazines, even on the covers of a couple. He got a mail one day from Nezumi, of a picture he'd snapped of a billboard that had gone up at a train station promoting his upcoming single.

In a way it made it worse, seeing Nezumi's face wherever he looked while not being able to see the real him, but Shion knew it wouldn't last and was satisfied with that.

His debut single went on sale on July 23rd, and even though Shion knew Nezumi would insist on giving him a free copy, he went to the store as soon as it was available and bought it himself anyway.  
He opted to risk arriving at work a little late, and made the trip home to put it on his MP3 player so he could listen to it on his way there.

It was a bit of a surprise; outside of karaoke, he'd never heard Nezumi sing anything but a capella or acoustic songs before, and hearing him with other instruments took some getting used to. However, despite that and the studio-smoothness of his vocals, it was still Nezumi's beautiful voice, belting out the kind of somewhat corny love song that he seemed to favour, and that made Shion smile.

'I'm listening to your single,' he messaged him as he went up in the elevator to his office, getting a response within moments.

'What do you think of it?!'

Shion chuckled. Nezumi's excitement was palpable, even in writing.

'It's very you. I like it.'

He listened to the single and its two B-sides on repeat all day, and wasn't even the slightest bit sick of them when the time came to go home.

* * *

A few days later he was in the middle of eating dinner when he got a message from Nezumi telling him, 'Turn on the television! TV MoonDrop. Quickly!'

He must have another CD release message, Shion thought, grabbing the remote and switching his set on. He went back to his table and sat down, starting to eat again and waiting for Nezumi's familiar voice to filter through to the dining room so he'd know he was on. It took Shion a few seconds to realise that what he was hearing as he ate wasn't the sound of commercials, but the theme to a popular music program playing from the television.  
He froze mid bite and dropped his chopsticks back onto his plate with a clatter.

It couldn't be… could it?

He rushed back over to the couch, almost falling over himself in his haste as the hosts began introducing their guest line up for the night.  
He sat down just in time for them to announce "Nezumi!" and Nezumi walked onto the set, looking dazzling in a black and silver outfit, with a cheshire smirk playing at his lips, to join the other artistes.

'You didn't tell me you'd been on a music program!' Shion messaged him.

Nezumi's reply didn't sound guilty at all; if anything, he sounded pleased with himself.

'I was going to, but then I thought it'd be cooler if you just turned on the TV and saw me.'

Shion shook his head, regarding the message with an expression somewhere between exasperation and fondness. He was about to reply, but the talk section of the show began, and instead ended up holding the phone in his hand, forgotten.

"This is your first television performance, isn't it, Nezumi-san?"

Nezumi on the screen nodded, and replied in his usual smooth, collected fashion.

"It is. Before this, I'd only played on the street."

"You performed in street lives?" The host asked, and Nezumi chuckled and shook his head.

"No, nothing as big as that. I just took my guitar and sang on the street. This will be my first time performing in front of a big audience, so please watch over me kindly."

He dipped his head and smiled sweetly. The studio audience responded appropriately with coos of "How cute!" and Shion thought that Nezumi already had their hearts in his hands.

"I imagine it'll be quite a leap from performing in front of a few people to performing for all these people here," the host said, and Nezumi nodded again.

"It's a huge leap. But I had a lot of wonderful experiences starting out the way I did, and I wouldn't change that for anything."

He looked right at the camera as he said it, with the most genuine, open expression Shion had ever seen on his face, and his heart leapt, because he knew without a doubt that Nezumi had meant those words for him.

He was the second person on the show who performed, but from the reaction of the audience – stunned silence, followed by a deafening burst of clapping and cheering – they should have saved him until last. In Shion's eyes, he'd been perfect in every way. His voice had risen and fallen, dipped and swelled with the music, soft and controlled in the beginning of the verses, spiralling into heartfelt emotion during the choruses. If his music hadn't captured Shion that first day he'd heard him on the street, it certainly would have after tonight. And when Nezumi finished, bowing and smiled in the direction of the camera as the studio broke into applause, Shion couldn't have been more proud of him.

His single debuted at position 13 on the daily chart, but it shot up to sixth place within a couple of days, eventually making it to number one after another performance on a different show. Shion wasn't the least bit surprised; Nezumi had just needed the right exposure and his talent and effort would carry him the rest of the way. Plenty of other music programs began to clamour for him to guest on them, and his agency was only too happy to oblige.

Shion watched every show he appeared on, but it was another three weeks before he actually got to see him in person.

'I have a free day on Sunday.' Nezumi messaged Shion while he was at work one Thursday. 'And I'm seeing you. You have no choice.'

Shion felt his face brighten up like a light bulb.

'I have no plans. When shall we meet?' He sent back, and spent the rest of the day in an exceptionally cheerful mood.

"Did something good happen?" Yoming asked later that evening while they were out with their team at the bar. "You've been smiling all day. It's a little scary."

"Hm?" Shion turned in his seat to face Yoming with the smile still on his face, and Yoming cracked up laughing.

"See? My point exactly. What, did you win the lottery or something?"

Shion chuckled, a little embarrassed that he was being so plainly obvious.

"No, it's just I'm seeing someone in the weekend." His face softened as he spoke. "Someone I haven't been able to meet up with for a while. So I'm looking forward to it."

He turned back to his drink just in time to miss the way that Yoming's face clouded over.

By the time the monthly charts came out, Nezumi's single had sold enough to reach the number one spot, and he'd requested Shion's cooking on Saturday night, proclaiming it was on the basis of celebrating that people loved him.

"You can take me out when it goes platinum," he told Shion over the phone on Friday. "It's not fair to ask you to take me out twice for the same single. Too expensive."

He hadn't been able to figure out why Shion had started laughing so hard when he'd said that, but Nezumi's shameless nature was something Shion found sweet about him and so he hadn't explained.

When Saturday night rolled around, Nezumi turned up with his guitar strapped to his back, depositing it on the couch before Shion could ask why he'd brought it with him, then wandering into the kitchen.

"What's for dinner?" He asked, looking delighted when the answer was 'Tonkatsu ramen'.

Despite Nezumi's insistence that he didn't want to cost Shion too much money, Shion had bought a bottle of champagne to surprise him anyway, taking pleasure in the way Nezumi's face lit up, first when it was presented to him, and second when Shion let him pop the cork so they could have a drink before dinner.

"You're so nice," Nezumi told him as they clinked their glasses together, and Shion suddenly felt shy, shuffled his feet and averted his eyes.

"It… there were more expensive bottles though. But the person at the shop said this one was good, so…"

"I'm really happy," Nezumi interrupted him with a touch of laughter in his voice. "This is a really nice way to celebrate. Thank you."

Dinner was a success, which was relieving, because the last time Shion had made ramen, it hadn't gone so well, and Nezumi helped him do dishes afterwards.

"There's a song I want to play for you," he told him after the last pot had been dried and put away. "Come sit down."

Shion following him back into the living room, where Nezumi grabbed his guitar out of its case, and they both settled down on the couch together.

"I just finished writing it," Nezumi said, "Now that I have a bit of free time again. Ready?"

When Shion nodded, he started to play.

The melody was sweet and soulful, almost moved Shion to tears from the first few bars.  
The lyrics weren't Nezumi's usual 'I love you, I'll always love you, I'll love you forever', but were subtler, deeper. He sung about warmth and sunshine, about smiles and simple, irreplaceable things, and Shion suddenly understood that this was the song; the one he'd long forgotten about, that Nezumi had promised to him almost a year ago.

This was _his_ song.

It ended just as he made the realisation, and he couldn't speak, couldn't do anything but look at Nezumi with all his emotions laid bare on his face.  
Nezumi put his guitar aside, then turned back to meet his gaze.

"That song…" He murmured, placing his hands over the top of Shion's, curling his fingers around them so that the tips brushed his palms. "I wrote it about you."

"Nezumi…" Shion whispered, lost for words, and Nezumi exhaled softly, eyes slipping shut before he leant in and kissed him.

* * *

It made sense now, Shion decided a couple of weeks later as Nezumi napped with his head in his lap. All the strange feelings in his stomach, the way Nezumi had made his heart race, why he was always so disappointed when they had to say goodbye. It should have been obvious how he'd felt from the start, but he wasn't going to complain about the way things had gone either.  
He was happy like this, the happiest he'd been in years.

Nezumi shifted in his lap, starting to snore, and Shion muffled his laughter to keep from rousing him, gently cupping his boyfriend's cheek.  
Nezumi's fans would be surprised if they saw him now, he thought. He was so perfect in his imperfection, mouth hanging open a little too much, sprawled out haphazardly on the couch with his limbs going in all directions.  
He let out a particularly violent snore, so loud that he woke himself up, much to Shion's amusement and an uncontrollable snort of laughter erupted from his mouth.

"What?" Nezumi asked, disoriented and still half asleep. "What's happening?"

"Not much." Shion brushed his hair out of his eyes for him, watching as he put his hand over his mouth to smother a yawn. "You fell asleep."

"Oh. Sorry." Nezumi struggled to sit up, only to flop against Shion's shoulder once he had. His arm snuck between him and the couch, wrapping around his waist and sneaking under the hem of his shirt. "Mm, it's cold."

"It's not cold at all," Shion replied as Nezumi cuddled closer, eyeing him strangely, just in time to catch an eye roll.

"I'm trying to be cute, Shion," Nezumi said, nudging Shion's arm with his nose. "It doesn't work if you don't play along."

"You don't have to _try_ to be cute," Shion said without thinking, then felt his entire neck burn red when he realised what had just come out of his mouth.

Nezumi seemed pleased though, breaking out into a thousand watt smile and humming contentedly as he pressed a soft kiss to Shion's flushed cheek.

"God, I'm so in love with you," he murmured, lips still pressed to his skin, brushing against it as he spoke.

Shion felt a shiver go down his spine at the words, and he turned his head to capture Nezumi's mouth in a real kiss, deepening it to show him, without words, how strongly he returned the feeling.

* * *

**A/N:** Hooray for Chapter Four! As always, I apologize for grammar issues. So, what do you think? Aren't I sweet? Giving you this lovely gift for being such great readers! Leave me a nice review and I promise the next chapter will come out on time; and if you're enthusiastic about it, I may even post it earlier! Remember, no flames though. I'll use them to light the fire to my bar-b-que. Anyway, the next update will be posted on my profile so if you ever get curious to when the next update will occur—feel free to check there! Thanks for reading!

Also, to that guest with the specific question about Yoming's relationship with Nezumi; No, they have never dated specifically because they have never met.

**Read, Review and Move On!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: Our Day in Summer  
**

**Author's Note**: Make sure you go ahead and read! I've got an important announcement at the end! More from me later!

⇒_**Please make sure you heed the bolded font. Especially the are there for a reason.**_

**Pairing**: Nezumi/Shion , One-sided Yoming/Shion

**Rating**: T/PG-13

**Warnings**: AU, OoC, Yaoi(hints)

**Summary**: Shion is stuck in a monotonous job as a company employee, and has no real aims in life. One day, he meets Nezumi, a street musician and aspiring artist, and things in his life begin to change.

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

No. 6 does not belong to me. All rights belong to Atsuko Asano-san. These boys, how I wish I could own them but, they will never be mine.

* * *

Nezumi released his second single four months later, debuting second on the charts, and then finally debuting at number one with his third single seven months after that. Before Shion knew it, it was nearing their one year anniversary, and he was left marvelling at how much time had passed.

Their relationship had been surprisingly smooth and simple so far, despite the fact that, when it came down to it, they were extreme opposites in so many ways. Sometimes Shion privately thought that was _why_ they were so good for each other; they'd had their share of fights, but even there, their differences worked out, because they never lasted. Shion was the type to sulk quietly, while Nezumi was the sort who blew up and stormed off, only to come back ten minutes later and apologise.

Even dealing with Nezumi's rising fame wasn't as difficult as Shion had originally thought it was going to be. It helped that they were both boys, and as long as they made sure not to touch one another too suggestively while they were in public – and even when they did slip up, Nezumi had already become known for being affectionate, so it was largely ignored – everyone assumed that they were just friends.

There were a few paparazzi photos of the two of them together, and Shion was simply known to the fans as Nezumi's best friend 'S-kun', and that was that.

Everyone at work knew Shion was seeing someone, though they didn't have any idea who. At first he'd been worried about keeping it under wraps, but it hadn't turned out to be a problem, because whenever the issue of Shion's 'partner' came up during work hours, Yoming got rather snappy and told them to stop chatting and get back to their jobs.

Shion thought nothing of it, glad he had an excuse to avoid the subject of who his boyfriend was, and probably never would've thought anything of Yoming's behaviour if he hadn't stopped by the magazine rack in the convenience store that day.

Shion didn't normally read magazines except for a fashion one that he purchased regularly, but Nezumi had landed a supporting role in a drama which had begun airing a week earlier, and it was impossible to ignore them when his boyfriend's face was staring back at him from so many of the covers.  
He still had about an hour before work started, and figured he may as well flick through a couple of issues to kill some time.

He was picking up a TV mag when it caught his eye; the one type of magazine Nezumi had managed to stay _out_ of until now, with his name splashed across the front in big letters.  
There had been plenty of rumours and false photos across the internet in the year since Nezumi had debuted, most of them laughable, and Shion hadn't given them a second thought. Most of them claimed he was in relationships with girls he'd never even met, or talked about him going to love hotels with strangers on nights when he'd been fast asleep, Shion curled up in his arms.  
But this was different; this was a real, physical magazine with Nezumi's name emblazoned on it, right above Ann's, the lead actress from his drama, with a promise of 'shocking photos' inside.

Shion wasn't sure he should look, wasn't sure he _wanted_ to look, but he only hesitated for a second before grabbing it from the rack and taking it up to the counter along with the melon bread he was buying for breakfast.  
He didn't make eye contact with the cashier, convinced that if he did, she'd known exactly why he was buying the magazine, and once he'd paid, he stuffed it in his briefcase and left.  
He felt ill at ease as he made his way to work, a knot gradually tying itself tighter and tighter in his stomach with each step he took.

He knew it was stupid to worry, _knew_ Nezumi would never cheat on him, loved Shion as much as Shion loved him, and that his fears would be alleviated as soon as he opened the magazine, but he couldn't help it.

He read it in the elevator on the way up, and once he got to the top, went straight to the bathroom and locked himself in a stall.  
He felt cold all over, like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over him, and a sensation of numbness quickly settled in.  
His first thought was that he'd been meant to go over to Nezumi's apartment tonight, to spend some time together since he finally had the evening off from filming, but he couldn't do that now. Not with Nezumi and Ann's clear as crystal black and white photo staring up at him from the page of the tabloid.

It wasn't a fake; he could tell from a mere glance that it was Nezumi in the photo, cupping Ann's hands in his own, smiling at her the same way that he always smiled at Shion.  
He didn't realise he was crying until the wet splotches started to appear on the page, soaking through into the ink, and even he wanted to stop looking, tear his eyes away from the photo, but he couldn't. Maybe, he thought, if he stared for long enough, he'd be able to find something in it that would prove it wasn't real, that maybe it was just a perfect Nezumi lookalike and not his boyfriend, sitting there holding some girl's hand. But the longer he looked, the less it seemed there was any possible explanation for the photo other than the one given underneath in the article; Nezumi and Ann on a date.

Shion finally tore his eyes away, wiping them on his suit sleeve and rolling the magazine up into a tube. He desperately wanted to throw it out, stick it through the paper shredder, do something to get rid of the evidence within its pages, but all he could bring himself to do was stick it back into his briefcase and try to figure out how to survive the day ahead.

He managed to get through to evening by focusing one hundred percent of his concentration on his work instead of doing it on autopilot and letting his mind wander. It wasn't until it was almost time to leave that he thought about Nezumi again.  
He'd really been looking forward to seeing him today after all the time they'd spent away from each other; to being able to hold him and fall asleep next to him. He'd been looking forward to the way Nezumi would sneak him kisses and whispers qoutes as confessions of love in his ear from classic novels that Shion was always too embarrassed to respond to, but secretly liked.

His eyes welled up again, and he blinked furiously to try and hold the tears back.  
Not here, not now. He didn't want anyone to see, didn't want to talk to anyone about it, didn't want anyone to ask him questions.

Shion bit his lip, keeping silent even as his vision blurred and the first droplets tracked their way down his cheeks. Maybe, he thought, typing away furiously, if he kept working and pretended everything was okay, nobody would notice. He'd stop crying, and then he'd be able to leave, go home to the privacy of his own apartment and withdraw into himself, trying not to think about how grey the world would be without Nezumi beside him.

"Shion-kun?"

His fingers froze on the keyboard. Of all the times for Yoming to come and talk to him, why did it have to be now?

"Can I borrow your stapler? Mine's missing."

Shion nodded, not trusting his voice, and grabbed his stapler, handing it to Yoming without looking at him. He felt him take it from his hand, praying that he'd walk off and leave him alone now, but he had no such luck.

"What's with the..." Yoming started to say, but then caught sight of his face. "Shion-kun, what's… What happened?"

A sniffle finally escaped, and he shook his head, gesturing for Yoming to drop the topic. He was silent for a moment, but then placed a hand on Shion's shoulder.

"Half an hour, and I can finish up. Can you wait that long?"

Shion wanted to tell him that it was fine, just to let him crawl back home and deal with this by himself, but it was easier to nod than speak right now, so that's what he did. Yoming let him sit in his office while Shion waited for him to finish, which was a little embarrassing, but better than everyone else in their team seeing each time a stray tear escaped down his cheek.

Yoming was ready to go five minutes earlier than he'd estimated, and he escorted Shion out of the office, to a cosy bar a few blocks away. It was small but private, and the two of them got comfortable in a booth, away from prying eyes.  
Shion had managed to stop crying by now, but he still looked forlorn, like the world was never going to be right again. He saw Yoming looking at him worriedly before saying that he was going to buy them beers.

He was expecting a myriad of questions once Yoming got back and settled down, but instead he just chatted normally, about work and hobbies and family until Shion finally began to respond with short, quiet answers.  
He started to feel more relaxed, though no less unhappy, after a couple of beers, and that was when Yoming finally asked him, "So, what's wrong?"

Shion lowered his eyes to his glass, staring at it intently so he wouldn't have to meet his gaze.

"Nothing's wrong," he said. He didn't expect Yoming to buy it, but he thought that maybe he'd leave the topic alone if he knew Shion didn't want to talk about it.

"Then why were you crying?" He asked, leaning back and folding his arms.

Shion still couldn't look him in the eyes. He grasped his beer between both hands, didn't reply, and Yoming sighed.

"Look. I know you hate your job. Don't look so shocked, it's obvious. But you're still a part of my team, and if there's something going on at work, I want to know about it so I can help you. That's my job as team leader."

"It won't affect my job performance," Shion said softly. "I promise it won't, so you don't have to worry about it."

Yoming clicked his tongue and let out a heavy sigh. He grabbed his glass, swallowed down the rest of his drink and stood up.

"Come on. We're leaving. Let's go for a walk."

Shion looked up at him hesitantly, eyes stopping at his chin, but after only a moment's pause, stood up. He left the rest of his drink, not really in the mood for finishing it, and followed Yoming out onto the street.

It was late by now, and Shion couldn't help but check his phone. There were four messages and two missed calls waiting for him. He read the mails – "Shion, you're late!", "Shion, are you still coming?", and then "I think I know what this is about. Did you see the magazine? It's not what it looks like. Please talk to me, okay?".  
The last one read, "Shion, you need to let me explain. Please come over. At least call me."

Shion gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to start crying again. 'It's not what it looks like' had to be the oldest excuse in the book. He was sure he was worth a better justification than that, especially when the photo couldn't be anything else _but_ what it looked like.  
He didn't bother listening to the voice messages, stuck the phone back in his pocket and increased his pace to catch up with Yoming.

"Where are we going?" He asked, falling into step beside him.

"Somewhere."

Shion went quiet, didn't bother to ask any more questions.

They finally stopped at a park, where Yoming sat down on a bench, patting the spot next to him to encourage Shion to do the same. He hesitated for a moment, then settled beside him, knees drawn tightly together and hands clasped in his lap.

"It's easier to talk in private," Yoming explained, and Shion hunched his shoulders a little more. "Look, Shion-kun. We're not friends."

He sighed, swallowed and shook his head, then continued.

"We're not friends, but… If you're crying at work, something pretty bad must be going on. And even if we're not friends, I want to know what's happening, not as your team leader, but as someone who cares."

A sob left his mouth before he had a chance to stop it, and Shion ducked his head to hide his face, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist. He felt pathetic for crying again, wasn't even sure what had triggered it this time around. He took deep swallows of air to try and get himself under control, but just ended up gasping around tears instead.

He was expecting Yoming to tell him to man up, or at least to get a hold of himself, but instead he felt an arm curl around his shoulder, pulling him into a hug.

"What happened?" Yoming asked again, but this time his voice was so much softer, so much more comforting, and that was enough for Shion to bury his face in his shoulder and finally cave.

"I think my boyfriend's cheating on me." His voice was cracked and shaky, but the words were perfectly audible. He heard Yoming inhale sharply, but he didn't make a comment, just rubbing soothing circles against Shion's back. "I can't. I don't… I love him…"

Yoming held him a little tighter.

"If some asshole is cheating on you, then he's not good enough for you," he said, and Shion was surprised at the ferocity in his voice.

He was even more surprised at himself when he looked up at Yoming, with wet, red rimmed eyes and said defiantly, "He is _not_ an asshole."

He knew he shouldn't be sticking up for Nezumi right now, not after what he'd done to him, but he couldn't stand hearing him being called names. Because he did love him, even after all of this, even if he wouldn't ever be able to forgive him. Nezumi meant so much to him.

Yoming seemed a little shocked by his outburst as well, but then his face softened, not with pity, but with affection, and he cupped Shion's jaw, brushing his thumb along the skin below his bottom lip.

"If he's lucky enough to have you and then throws it away, then he is. If it were me, I wouldn't hurt you like this."

It clicked for Shion then; there had been so many little things that Yoming had done over the years that should have tipped him off. The way he looked at him, the way he'd touch him when they were out together, all the times when Shion had felt like there was something going on that he couldn't quite grasp.

It was enough to stop his tears, and he sat up straight, pulling away and looking at Yoming with an apologetic expression.

"Yoming-san, I…" He licked his lips, tried to think of a kind, gentle way to say what needed to be said.

He didn't need to in the end. Yoming said it for him.

"Sorry. I went too far," he said, and now it was he who couldn't meet Shion's eyes. "This was a bad time to... I'm sorry. Just forget about it."

Shion didn't know what to say, and so he didn't speak, waited for Yoming to fill in the silence.  
He did so a moment later, standing up and brushing off his pants, offering Shion a hand up.

"I should let you go. But… just think about what I said at least, okay? No one deserves to get hurt like that, especially not you."

It made Shion smile, even if it was small and weak, and he nodded.

"Thank you," he said, and meant it, because despite everything, he actually felt a little better knowing that he had someone else he could rely on.

They split up at the park, neither of them suggesting that Shion walk Yoming to the station this time.

"I'll see you at work," he said as they said their farewells, and Shion nodded, echoing the words.

Exhaustion hit him as he begun to walk home, both physical and emotional, and he figured the best course of action would be to send Nezumi a message telling him he'd call him tomorrow so they could talk, after he'd had a full night of sleep.

He grabbed his keys out of his pocket when he got to his door, pushing them into the hole only to find it was already unlocked. At first he assumed he'd forgotten to lock it this morning, but when he pushed it open to see that the lights were on, and there was an extra pair of shoes in his doorway, Shion realised what was going on.

He'd forgotten he'd given Nezumi a spare key, and briefly considered running, not ready to face him and hear what he had to say yet. He hadn't prepared himself, didn't know if he was ready to be strong yet, but it was too late.

"Shion?" Nezumi rounded the corner; he looked anxious, and his face was drawn and stiff.  
Shion, on the other hand, knew he must look like a deer caught in the headlights, standing there frozen with one shoe half off and the other still on.

"Shion," Nezumi repeated. "I need to talk to you."

Shion took a deep breath, then let it out, trying to calm himself.

"Nezumi. I think it'd be better if you left for now."

Even with the current circumstances, the expression that unfolded across Nezumi's face was enough to break Shion's heart. He looked miserable, completely lost, as though he couldn't understand why Shion didn't want him around.

"Shion, is this about the picture? I should've told you as soon as I found out, but I didn't think you'd believe... I promise it's not what..."

"Not what it looks like?" Shion interrupted, stony faced. "I don't see anything else it could be."

"Do you have the magazine?" Nezumi asked. "Just get it for me, and I'll show you."

Shion sighed and put down his briefcase, placing a hand against his head as it started to throb.

"Nezumi, please listen to me. Right now, I..."

"No!" Nezumi said over the top of him, slamming his hand against the wall. "You listen to _me_, Shion. This is fucking stupid, and if you're going to believe some dumb tabloid magazine over the word of your own boyfriend, then _you're_ stupid too."

Shion stood there gaping at him, unable to put a proper sentence together, and Nezumi calmed down considerably.

"I'm sorry," he said, a tinge of regret in his tone. "I didn't mean that. I just... Just let me show you. Do you have the magazine?"

Shion nodded, still a little dumbstruck, this time complying and opening his briefcase, taking the rolled up tabloid out.  
He handed it to Nezumi who flicked through to the page with the photo that Shion had wished he'd never have to look again, then shoved it in his face.

"So. What do you see?" Nezumi asked, expectant.

Shion looked at the picture again, but it was no different to how it had looked this morning, and he'd certainly given it a thorough examination then.

"I see you holding hands with a girl." His voice came out in a robotic monotone, and Nezumi breathed a sigh of frustration, pulling the magazine away from Shion's face and jabbed at the photo with his finger.

"No, Shion, you see me grabbing my friend's hand."

"What's the difference?" Shion asked dully. It sounded like Nezumi was just arguing semantics in a desperate attempt to prove his point.

Nezumi didn't seem to think so, though.

"Shion, look at her; her hand is in a fist. Who holds hands with their hand in a fist? We were just talking about the drama, about acting techniques. Ann-chan came up with some good ideas for me, and I was greatful. Don't you ever grab your friends' hands when you got excited talking to them?"

Shion bit his lip, trying not to get his hopes up. If he started to hope, it would hurt that much more when his heart got broken.

"I can't say I have," he said, and Nezumi's brow wrinkled in annoyance.

"Well, I do. You know what I'm like with my friends. If you'd been there when it'd happened, you wouldn't have cared. You just care because this stupid tabloid put ideas into your head." He tossed the magazine over his shoulder, and it crashed to the ground, pages flapping. "You can make people believe whatever you want if you take the right picture. Photography can make anything look real. Come on, Shion. You _know_ I'm a useless liar when it comes to you. You know I can't look you in the eye and make believable excuses when I'm not telling the truth."

That made Shion falter. He thought back to the time Nezumi had knocked his pile of carefully arranged magazines to the floor and when Shion had found them out of order, how a complete look of guilt had flooded Nezumi's eyes when he'd said he hadn't touched them. Or the time he'd eaten the leftovers Shion had been planning to take for his lunch and had donned the fakest innocent look he'd ever seen when he claimed not to know about it.  
Compared to the distressed, genuine look on his face right now, it looked as though he wasn't lying at all. And Shion wanted to believe him, he really did.

It was just that…

"I can't…" He admitted, voice hushed. "What if I believe you and then…"

He didn't need to finish the sentence for Nezumi to understand what was troubling him. But this time, instead of confidently reassuring him, Nezumi hung his head and tried to suppress a sniff.

"You have to believe me. I don't understand why you won't." Shion realised with a start that Nezumi was crying. In all their time together, he didn't think he'd ever seen Nezumi truly cry, and it distressed him more than he would've thought. "I can't lose you, Shion. I can't lose you because of someone else's lie."

Nezumi raised his head, rubbed his eyes furiously with his hands, and when he faced Shion, he looked hurt, a little angry, and desperately unhappy.

"Shion is the best thing that's ever happened to me," he finished in a whisper, hands going limp at his sides, and before he knew it, Shion had his arms around him, face buried in his neck.

"Don't cry," he said, voice muffled and splintering around the edges. "If you do, I will as well. I believe you. Just don't cry."

He heard Nezumi gulp and let out one last shuddery breath before his arms came up around Shion's back and squeezed him tightly.

"Shion," he said, voice desperate and rushed. "I promise I'll never even touch another person again. I promise, just don't…"

Shion laughed, smiling fondly through his tears. "I think that's going a little overboard, Nezumi."

Nezumi pulled back, taking Shion's face gently between his hands and gave him a watery-eyed smile.

"Look at you. You told me not to make you cry, but you are anyway." He leant in, kissed the tear tracks running down both cheeks. "We're both really uncool."

Shion shrugged, starting to feel a bit embarrassed. Suddenly, the rest of the day seemed like an enormous overreaction, and he felt stupid for ever seriously doubting Nezumi. He raised a hand up to his face, placing it over Nezumi's, and linked their fingers together, gripping tightly.

"At least we're uncool together," he said, and Nezumi finally smiled one of his real smiles; the ones that reminded Shion of the first day he ever saw him and unknowingly fell head over heels.

Nezumi squeezed his hand back. "You're the only person I ever want to touch," he said, looking right into Shion's eyes, and Shion could tell from the way he said it that it was true.

And then Nezumi leant in to kiss him, deep and tender enough to steal his breath away, and Shion closed his eyes and let his thoughts dwindle into nothing.

* * *

**A/N:** Five Five, Chapter Five! Sorry for grammar issues! Hey guys, guess what? Only two chapters left! Well, actually its one more full chapter and then an omake! I know, you guys are disappointed with it coming to a close, all great things come to an end! Anyway, The next update will be posted on my profile so if you ever get curious to when the next update will occur—feel free to check there! Thanks for reading!

**Read, Review and Move On!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: Our Day in Summer  
**

**Author's Note**: Read! More from me later!

⇒_**Please make sure you heed the bolded font. Especially the are there for a reason.**_

**Pairing**: Nezumi/Shion , One-sided Yoming/Shion

**Rating**: T/PG-13

**Warnings**: AU, OoC, Yaoi(hints)

**Summary**: Shion is stuck in a monotonous job as a company employee, and has no real aims in life. One day, he meets Nezumi, a street musician and aspiring artist, and things in his life begin to change.

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

No. 6 does not belong to me. All rights belong to Atsuko Asano-san. These boys, how I wish I could own them but, they will never be mine.

* * *

Despite their making up, Shion still felt a bit nervous over the next few days; he worried when Nezumi took a while to message him back, or sent short, distracted replies, because even though he believed him 99 percent, there was still that seed of doubt that had been planted.  
He figured it would fade over time, once he realised that he truly could trust Nezumi, but it made him feel guilty anyway, because Nezumi hadn't done anything wrong, and he shouldn't have to be proving himself to Shion.

He hoped that he hadn't noticed the slight change in his attitude, because it would undoubtedly hurt him, and there was nothing they could do but wait to make it better.  
At least, that's what he thought until the night Nezumi sent him a message just as he was finishing up at work.

'I know it's sudden, but do you want to go for a meal? I just got off filming and I miss you. Let's get dinner together!'

Shion sighed but couldn't help grinning as he finished packing up his briefcase before replying that yes; he'd be able to make it. Nezumi had always been spontaneous as the wind, he'd known that since they'd first met, but he was still wasn't completely used to it yet.

It was a nice evening; a cool breeze took the edge off the heat of the midsummer air, and it hadn't been long since the sun had set, allowing him to enjoy his walk through the twilight, to the restaurant Nezumi had directed him to.  
The restaurant turned out to be the typical sort that Nezumi liked; a place with a cheery sort of atmosphere, smack in the middle of the cheap to classy continuum. Shion walked in, looking around and quickly spotting Nezumi who waved him over with a wider-than-usual smirk on his face.

Shion was so focused on him that he didn't realise there was someone else at the table until he was right in front of it.

"Ah." He stopped in his tracks, staring in wide eyed astonishment.

"Shion." Nezumi nudged a chair out with his foot so that he could sit down. "You haven't met Ann-chan before, have you?"

"Ah..." He repeated dumbly, but at least had the good sense to sit. "Not… not until now."

"I'm Ann," she said smoothly, as though he didn't already know. "It's nice to meet you."

"S-Shion," he replied, eyes darting to Nezumi, silently asking for help. Of course, he got none, and settled on the first set phrase he could think of. "I've heard a lot about you."

Ann smiled at him, charmingly girlish. "The same here. Nezumi-kun talks about you a lot."

"He, wha… he does?" Somehow, Shion hadn't been anticipating a comment like that, and he ended up tripping over his words out of shock.

Nezumi took that moment to cut into the conversation.

"Anyone want some water? I might go and get a bottle."

"Yes please," Ann said, while Shion managed a sound along the lines of, "Uhr," which Nezumi took to mean 'yes', and got up and left, leaving him with the girl he'd been only too prepared to hate just a few days ago.

Shion stared at the table, no topic of conversation immediately springing to mind, preparing to feel awkward when Ann spoke again, in her high, lilting tone.

"Nezumi-kun really does talk about you quite often, Shion-san. He cares about you a lot."

Of all the things he'd been expecting to hear, that hadn't been one. His head snapped back up, and he looked at her with, round, disbelieving eyes.

"No, I uh… You…" He groped desperately for something coherent to say, but found nothing.

"Everyone on the drama set wants to meet you," she continued. "He's always telling us stories. It sometimes feels like we already know you."

Shion felt his face growing red, still lost for words, but was fortunate enough to be rescued by Nezumi coming back with glasses and a water jug.

He didn't speak much that evening, but Nezumi and Ann bantered and joked back and forth, and the atmosphere between them almost reminded Shion of that between him and his best friend Safu. The realisation relaxed him, enough so that he felt more comfortable, and he managed to open up and slip in a few deadpan jokes of his own by the end of the night.

They chatted for a while longer after they'd finished their meals, before Ann took out her phone and checked it.

"Well, it's been fun," she told them, "But I'd better be going now. It was nice to meet you, Shion-kun."

"You too," he replied and, this time, he actually meant it.

"We should all go out again soon," Nezumi said, pushing his chair back and standing as well. "Let's go to karaoke. You should hear me and Shion sing together. And bring your boyfriend next time, okay, Ann-chan?"

Shion's eyebrows rose, but he didn't say anything, accompanying them to the counter where Nezumi insisted they 'pay for the lady'. They split up outside the restaurant, exchanging goodbyes then going their separate ways.

Nezumi's hand brushed against Shion's as it swang as they began to walk along in comfortable silence.

"Want to come over?" Nezumi asked suddenly, and Shion nodded, biting his lip before finally building up the courage to ask the question at the forefront of his mind.

"Did you… tell her? About… you know."

Nezumi looked at him with an expression too innocent to be real.

"About what? About us? I may have. Is that okay?"

"That's the kind of thing you're supposed to ask about _before_ you do it," Shion reminded him, but the corners of his mouth quirked up against his will. "You haven't told anyone else, have you?"

"No," Nezumi said, and Shion could tell he was being honest. "Just Ann-chan. We really hit it off, and I feel like I can trust her. Then after the tabloid the other day… well, you know, it all came out. And besides," his smile took on a slightly evil character and he lowered his voice. "I need _someone_ to gossip with about our hot sex life."

A look of horror crossed Shion's face, and all the colour drained from it before Nezumi started to laugh and promised he was joking.

Shion felt himself pouting.

"I'll give you something to talk about," he muttered.

It was meant to be a threat, but Nezumi just stepped a little closer to him, bumping their shoulders together, whispering in his ear, "I'll hold you to that."

When the next photo showed up a few days later, with an article about Nezumi getting serious enough with his 'girlfriend' Ann to introduce her to 'his close friend S-kun', Shion could only laugh.

Nezumi's first live tour, the moment that, in all honesty, he and Shion had _really_ been waiting for, was scheduled to start a couple of weeks after the release of his first album that winter. His work diary was filled with meetings, followed by what seemed like endless rehearsals, and Shion had never seen him more exhausted, or in higher spirits.

They saw more of each other rather than less during that time, since Shion's apartment was closer to where the meetings were held, and it also meant that Nezumi could come home, sore and tired from sitting in the same position all day, and demand a backrub. Shion cherished the extra time together, because he knew that once the tour started, he'd be seeing a lot less of him.

He voiced this to Nezumi one night as he lay in bed with him, skin to skin, Nezumi's body pressed against the curve of his back.

"I won't see you much while you're touring, will I," he said as drowsiness began to set in, loosening his tongue enough for him to voice what was on his mind.

"Mm," Nezumi hummed into the pillow. Shion wriggled back against Nezumi, pressing himself closer until Nezumi wrapped his arms around his waist and held him. He didn't comment, and so Shion assumed he had nothing to say, and was just dozing off when Nezumi spoke in a sleepy whisper.

"I'd like it if you could come with me."

Shion blinked rapidly, suddenly awake. "What?"

For a moment he thought he'd dreamed it, but Nezumi repeated, "For my tour. I'd like it if you travelled with me."

Shion swallowed. He wasn't sure Nezumi understood the magnitude of what he was asking for. It was alright for him to go on tour for two months – it was his job – but Shion had his _own_ job, and he couldn't afford to leave it for that long.

"Nezumi… that's…" He paused, trying to find the right way to say this. "I have work. I can't go around the country with you and go to work at the same time. If I took two months extended leave on the basis of travel, I'd end up unemployed."

Nezumi clicked his tongue and leant his head against Shion's shoulder, hair tickling the skin.

"Would that be so bad though?" He asked. "You hate your job. You never say anything, but everyone knows it."

Shion laughed uncomfortably. "Nezumi… that's not really important. I have to pay for rent and food, and I can't do that if I'm out of work." He felt Nezumi press a kiss to the back of his head as he tried to placate him. "I'd like to go, but that's impossible."

Nezumi's hand found his, and he laced their fingers together.

"If you want to, then you should. This isn't just about the tour, Shion, it's… how much longer are you going to put up with that job? Five years? 20 years? Are you still going to be there and miserable when you're 60?" He squeezed Shion's hand a little harder, then shifted out of the embrace to roll him over so he could look him in the eye. "I don't like it. Life's for living, not enduring."

Shion sighed, running his fingers through Nezumi's hair, then leant in and silenced him with a brief kiss.

"That's not something either of us have to worry about right now," he assured him, and Nezumi let the topic drop.

Privately, though, in the back of his mind, as they settled down to go to sleep, Shion wondered if maybe Nezumi was right.

* * *

Despite what he'd said that night, now that the idea was in his head, Shion couldn't get rid of it. He'd never considered leaving his job before; had grown up with the mindset that once you joined a company, you were in it for life. He'd thought this whole time that if he ever lost his job, it'd be impossible to find work again – the end of the line for him. But now, with Nezumi in his life, moving on to better, if not bigger, things didn't seem so implausible anymore.

Still, there was so much to consider, so many things to think about and organise, that Shion assumed he'd never get around to it. And so one night, when he was out at the bar with Yoming, their other co-workers having gone to catch their trains for the night, he was stunned to hear himself interrupt the flow of their normal conversation with the words, "I think I want to quit."

Yoming looked stunned for a moment before his face went carefully blank. "You mean your job?"

Shion hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should try to undo what he'd just said, take it back and laugh it off as nothing, but, after a moment's thought, realised that he didn't want to.

"Yeah. It's… I don't think work at a company is the right job for me. Of course, it's nothing to do with my colleagues. It's just that…"

"I think that's why I like you," Yoming said lightly, before taking a sip from his beer. "You're different from those boring fuckers who fit the company mould. But I guess that always meant you weren't going to stay."

Shion gawked at him, astonished, but Yoming continued.

"Well, as team leader, I guess I should say that we don't want to continue employing someone who's not fully motivated to do his job for the company, but," he held up a finger to silence Shion as he opened his mouth to protest, "_But_, it's after hours. So all I really want to tell you is good luck. And stay in touch."

When they finished the drinks they were on, Yoming suggested that they call it a night and head home, and Shion had to agree; he had a resignation letter that needed writing.

* * *

"I'm quitting," was the first thing that Shion said when he walked into the lounge that night.  
Nezumi was sitting on the couch in an exhausted, zombie-like state, staring at the television without actually watching it, but his head snapped up as soon as he heard Shion's announcement.

"Eh?" He smiled, but it didn't make him look any less perplexed. "What?"

"I, uh…" He suddenly felt self-conscious, worried that he'd gone and rushed into things, too fast for even _Nezumi_ to handle. "I'm quitting my job. Like we talked about the other night."

Nezumi opened his mouth, paused, then shut it again. Shion watched him, feeling oddly nervous.

"Have you… thought about rent and all the things you said you were worried about?"

Shion's silence answered for him, and he flushed, starting to feel like he'd done something very dim-witted. It was just that he'd known that if he thought about it for too long, he'd lose his nerve, and despite needing the money, he didn't really want to spend another second working in that job. Nezumi had been more than a little right; he'd been spot on. Shion had been enduring life for the past three years, and it was time for it to stop.

Nezumi sighed, but then started to laugh.

"I think we'd better leave the impulsiveness to me from now on," he said, causing the tips of Shion's ears to go red. "I suit it better."

"Yeah…" He muttered, scuffing his foot against the carpet.

Nezumi got up from the couch, still chuckling, and gave Shion a quick hug.

"Okay. So how's this for impulsiveness," Nezumi began, and Shion thought he may have detected a flash of nervousness in his eyes for a second. "You have no income, and I've been thinking about moving out of my apartment and into somewhere bigger for a while. Your place is big enough for two, right?"

Shion's mouth fell open, and his eyebrows rose. "Nezumi, are you…"

"Well, you're going to need some source of income, aren't you? I can pay our rent for now."

Shion thought about that. '_Our rent_'. Something about it sounded good; felt like it made their relationship seem that much more official; that much more permanent.

"I'll need to get a job sometime, though," he said, seriously, and Nezumi wiggled his eyebrows at him.

"Lawson is always hiring," he suggested, then poked Shion in the nose when he started to frown. "I'm kidding. Seriously, you'll find a job. Apply at the gym. You practically live there in your spare time anyway."

He hadn't considered of that. He stopped to consider these new ideas, outside the box he'd grown up thinking within, and a thoughtful look came over his features. Nezumi must have seen the way his face changed, because he smiled and patted his boyfriend's arm.

"Everything will work out fine," he said, and for some reason, Shion believed it.

It wasn't until later that night in bed that Nezumi dropped the bombshell on him. They were lying in bed, under the covers, ready to go to sleep, when he snuggled closer to Shion, laying his head on his shoulder and running his fingers up and down his spine.

"So, you'll tour with me then?" He asked, winding a strand of Shion's hair around his finger.

"I guess." Shion said. "I'll be unemployed and bored otherwise."

He could practically hear the smirk in Nezumi's voice when he replied.

"That's good. Because I've written a duet for us."

At first, Shion wasn't sure he was comprehending what Nezumi meant correctly.

"A duet? Why?"

"Why not? It's just one song," Nezumi countered. "You have a beautiful voice. We sound so good together. I can't imagine anything that would make me happier than singing a song I wrote in front of a crowd of thousands with you."

"Thousands?" Shion repeated, blatantly panicking. "What? Concert, me?"

He was expecting Nezumi to laugh then, tell him it was some kind of joke and not to get so flustered, but it didn't come.

"So when you resign from work, you can come to rehearsals with me and we can get everything arranged." He grabbed his hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "It'll be great, Shion. Like a dream come true."

"This is already supposed to be your dream come true!" Shion argued, but his protests fell upon selectively deaf ears, and the next day, Nezumi seemed so happy about it that he couldn't bring himself to wriggle out of the idea.

* * *

**A/N:** One more chapter left! Review guys and maybe I'll post it earlier! the next update will be posted on my profile so if you ever get curious to when the next update will occur—feel free to check there! Thanks for reading!

**Read, Review and Move On!**


	7. Omake

**Title: Our Day in Summer  
**

**Author's Note**: Goodness! Thank you guys for sticking around! This, right here will be the final installment for _Our Day in Summer_. What are you waiting for?! Go read! More from me later!

⇒_**Please make sure you heed the bolded font. Especially the are there for a reason.**_

**Pairing**: Nezumi/Shion , One-sided Yoming/Shion

**Rating**: T/PG-13

**Warnings**: AU, OoC, Yaoi(hints)

**Summary**: Shion is stuck in a monotonous job as a company employee, and has no real aims in life. One day, he meets Nezumi, a street musician and aspiring artist, and things in his life begin to change.

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

No. 6 does not belong to me. All rights belong to Atsuko Asano-san. These boys, how I wish I could own them but, they will never be mine.

* * *

He was expecting disaster to strike at any moment, but his resignation and the rehearsals with Nezumi that followed it went more smoothly than he could've imagined. It was fun, learning to harmonise with Nezumi, learning breathing and singing techniques. He was still unsure about performing in front of a huge crowd – he'd never really been good with being in the limelight – but Nezumi assured him it would be okay, just to try his best. And for Nezumi, he'd do almost anything.

The day of the first tour almost snuck up on him, suddenly looming out of nowhere. When it finally arrived, it didn't feel real. He knew he was only going to be on stage for a grand total of six minutes, but it was still terrifying to think about.

When he saw the line of fans, mostly girls, some boys, waiting outside the concert hall, it was hard to believe that all these people were coming here to see his Nezumi when; not when, only two years ago when the two of them first met, no one had even known his name.

"You ready?" Nezumi asked before the concert started, looking far too calm and collected for someone who was doing this for the first time.

Shion wasn't sure he was, but Nezumi's smile was warm and reassuring, and it made him feel a little more prepared.

"I'll be okay," he said, and with that, Nezumi offered him one more nod and a flash of a smirk before he disappeared to finish getting organised.

It was all so surreal, when the lights went down, when the first screams began, cascading into a roar. And then the band started to play, the screams swelled, and Nezumi finally began to sing.  
At last, it was happening, Shion thought, misty eyed and digging his fingers into his palms. Everything Nezumi had worked towards, everything they'd waited for; it was finally beginning, right here and now.

His heart lurched when Nezumi reached the first MC, because Shion knew it was almost time. He listened as Nezumi thanked everyone for coming, talking about the concert for a while, how happy he was to see so many people here, before he inevitably steered the talk towards a surprise he had planned.

"I guess you might have heard me talk about my best friend, S-kun, in interviews," he said, then laughed a little, the confidence in his voice strong and proud. "I guess it's a bit weird to invite your best friend out onto stage when no one knows who he is, but we have something special planned, so please bear with us. Shion!"

His body walked out of its own accord, on numb legs and shaky feet, but he tried his hardest to put on his best composed mask.

"He… hello." His own voice boomed around him in the concert hall, and it was so strange that he didn't say anything for a moment, until he remembered he should introduce himself. "I'm Shion. N-Nezumi's friend."

"He's nervous," Nezumi supplied for him, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder. "He gets stage fright, so please watch over him with a very kind heart."

A giggle ran through the audience, and Shion felt his cheeks burn bright red.

"Nezumi is always so mean to me. If any of you can explain why you like him so much, please help me understand," Shion heard his own mouth say, and the giggles escalated. It made him feel better about himself.

"He doesn't mean that," Nezumi said, brushing the insult off. "Anyway, the reason Shion is here is because I wrote a duet, and I needed someone to help me sing it. And I couldn't think of a better person. Right?"

He glanced at Shion, flashed him the bright, radient smile he'd fallen in love with, and Shion felt himself smiling back. That was followed by a few seconds of awkward silence in which the two of them realised they had nothing left to say, and they broke into nervous chuckles.

"So please listen to our song, '_Our Day in Summer_'."

The band started again, a slow but uplifting tune that still made Shion's heart swell with emotion each time he heard it. Nezumi joined in after the introduction, turning to catch Shion's eye, and Shion took a deep breath and began to sing.

He let himself forget about his nerves, about the audience, thinking solely of Nezumi and the lyrics he had written, about a chance meeting beneath a bridge by the river, and how it had changed two lives in a single moment. As he sung, voice lifting and soaring, melding and harmonising with Nezumi's, he felt light as air, free, as though with each word that left his mouth, things were falling further into place.

And when the music faded away and the last note was sung, the audience burst into applause and shouts, and Nezumi took Shion's hand – took his hand and clasped it tight, right there in front of tens of thousands of people – and they bowed together.  
And Shion thought, as he stood beside Nezumi under the dazzling lights, with their fingers entwined and their futures stretched out ahead of them, that he had finally begun to live.

* * *

**A/N:** The end! Wow, Thanks to everyone who stuck by this story! I'm so grateful you decided to follow along 'til the end. I know I've made grammar mistakes here and there but, I'm so glad everyone looked past my slight mistakes and enjoyed this story regardless. In the distant future, I hope to continue with this pairing and (maybe) make a sequel for this story. Right now though, that's somewhat of a fleeting though. Anyway, send me a nice little review and Thanks for reading!

If you have any requests, don't hesitate in asking! Also, Check out some of my other works! See you next time!

**Read, Review and Move On!**


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